"It is going to change the entire flow": Chase Elliott comments on Round of 12 finale at "new" Charlotte Road Course

Chase Elliott has given his take on racing at the repaved Charlotte Motor Speedway Road Course. The 2.28-mile circuit got its pavement job on a section between Turns 6 and 7, and the Round of 12 finale will be the first Cup race since the re-pavement.

During the summer break, the Speedway Motorsports-owned venue underwent resurfacing work to provide for more passing. They extended the infield straightway which now heads straight into the hairpin corner. Moreover, the chicane on the front stretch has been reshaped to make it challenging in the braking zone.

The drivers haven't experienced driving on the repaved Charlotte Road Course, and, on top of that, a 20-minute practice session could prove insufficient for the championship contenders to devise appropriate strategies. Notably, the scope of the mistake would be less as the Bank of America Roval 400 will decide the Round of 8 drivers.

Chase Elliott has reigned supreme at the 17-turn road course two times and has netted four top-10 finishes from eight starts thus far. Ahead of the Talladega race, the 2020 Cup Series champion was asked for his thoughts on the repavement between Turns 6 and 7.

"To me, I kind of look at it as a new race track truthfully, and that section of the track is going to change the entire flow of a lap there. So, I've been kind of approaching it as a new track in my prep," Elliott said (via Cup Scene on YouTube at 5:28).

The Hendrick Motorsports driver then outlined practicing for the road course race in sim racing and mentioned the noteworthy features of the digital mode of NASCAR racing.

"Have some time at sim and just trying to really just memorize the track and what little bumps are here or where or what typically those track scans are. That's probably one of the best things about sim that a driver can go and get familiar with is the track layout, the surface content, roughness, and so on," he added.

Chase Elliott will enter the YellaWood 500 at the Talladega with a 4-point surplus.

---

Chase Elliott comments on NASCAR's new aero features for NextGen cars' Talladega race

Multiple NextGen crashes were witnessed recently, wherein the car got tossed into the air before landing back on the asphalt. The primary reason was the turtle shell bottom which prevents air from escaping, resulting in a maximum lift situation.

The drivers who recently succumbed to going airborne were Corey LaJoie at Michigan International Speedway and Josh Berry at the Daytona International Speedway. Moreover, the speedways have steeper banking which could further worsen the car's downforce.

As a result, NASCAR will implement a new aero package for the Talladega race. It will include an extended rocker panel skirt, extended right roof rail, and right-side fabric roof flap. The changes are supposed to prevent the high-octane cars from going airborne by ensuring high downforce.

During the aforementioned presser, Chase Elliott elaborated on whether the aero package change would actually help the drivers. The #9 Chevy driver emphasized that he couldn't paint a clear picture due to a lack of testing, saying:

"It's got to be extremely difficult to test those things and put cars in the same circumstance that they're going to see during a crash. I think that's almost impossible to simulate every little detail that happens in a wreck," Elliott said (2:05).

Chase Elliott will kick off his 31st Cup Series race weekend, spanning 500 miles, from 11th place